Nice area to stay in Saint Louis

Hi,we're thinking of a trip there this weekend.Where would be a good area to find a Red Roof etc that would be convienient to the arch and other attractions.We'll have a car so...any suggestions?I searched and came up with some good dining options but not where to stay.Thanks!

First of all, you can generally get a NICE room on Priceline or Hotwire for the price of a Red Roof room. See http://p070.ezboard.com/fpricelineandexpediabiddingstlouis for more information. When I head to St. Louis, I generally pay under $45 for a Courtyard by Marriott or Doubletree.

As for specific areas, the areas that generally appeal to the tourist trade include the downtown area, Westport, Chesterfield and Clayton. Each of the areas has its plusses and minuses.

Downtown is the most convenient. However, many properties charge for parking and the rates tend to be higher. Also, you have to be more aware of the environment as it is not crimef-free but it is not too bad either. My low-cost recommendation is one of teh Drury Inns. The one across from the Union Station is a historical landmark and a must see for the architecture.

Westport is further out but has a ton of hotels that do not generally fill up on weekends (except for Cubs-Cardinal weekends). They have more shopping opportunities and some nightlife. It is less convenient to the Arch and other areas around town.

Chesterfield is further out from town BUT the area has more of a rural feel. The Doubletree Conference Center is pretty cheap on weekend and is usually a favorite on Priceline. The problem with this area is that it is not close to anything.

Clayton has a lot of entertainment and a lot of good restaurants. It is a walkable neighborhood and a well-kept area. Think a more urbanized Lake Forest. The hotel inventory is fairly limited, especially in the budget category.

The cheapest area of St. Louis is the airport area. However, the area around the airport is a bit on the rough side. I generally stay in that area when I travel to St. Louis on business. It is OK if you are driving BUT not an area that you'll want to walk around.

(Disclaimer: I was a night manager for one of the Westport properties 15 years ago.)

Hope that helps. PM me if you want some Priceline advice or if you have trouble finding a place on a busy weekend.

I would second jlawrence's recs and opinions. Another thing that you might want to keep in mind is that downtown STL pretty much rolls up at night, so if you're not staying there, you're not missing out on a lot. Clayton on the other hand is very active at night, but may be more expensive. I'd definitely avoid the area around the airport. Chesterfield is nice and has built up quite a bit since I used to live there, and there are a lot of attractions that are located between it and the city. If you can get a good hotel deal out there, that might be a good option.

Have fun!

i would look into the Central West End, too... its just west of downtown. not walkable to downtown, though..

there are tons of great non-chain, good restaurants there.

For hotels's there's the upscale Chase Park Plaza, just around the block of Euclid and Maryland... and i think there's a Best Western or something right there too (actually, I think there may be two best western's..)

http://www.thecwe.com/

Agree with Dane; the Central West End has the most city/urban feel; it's right by Washington University, has lots of ecletic shopping, and it's on the St. Louis MetroLink light rail line that can zip you to and from downtown and the airport. If you're going to stay in Chesterfield, you might as well be staying in Des Moines -- the equivalent of coming to Chicago and staying in Naperville.
>>Brent

Thanks for the tips.We left Sat morning to the tune of the A/C evaporater going south in the Jeep.We kept on with windows open "what???" to my wife's beloved Arch.We arrived and much to my dismay she had mapquested to St Louis MI but that's another story.We visited the Galleria in Clayton-yes nice area,but found a nice hotel in Kirkwood.Not food related but we did the Chinese buffet near the hotel.lol.Shopped at the adjacent Wal-Mart etc.In the morning we did the tram up the arch.We did have a much needed good time.St Louis was pretty cool in a strange way so we'd go again to check it out.I did notice at White Castle the burgers were FAR superior "almost a different sandwich" than what i have near work.Also 40 Steak N Shakes in the local yellow pages.Sorry not very food related but we were only able to stay one night.Another time.